The 3D Match Engine has seen extensive improvements, including enhanced AI, improved lighting and player animation, individual player character and kit models, more realistic player reaction to on-field incidents and a range of optimisations which combine to make this the best looking and fastest FM Match Engine yet.

Tactical overhaul

There has been a complete redesign of how tactics are created, selected and implemented with player roles and team strategies becoming even more prominent, definable roles for players for multiple positions, new player roles and instructions and improvements to rival managers' AI so that they’ll adapt their tactics more readily over time.

More realistic transfers and contracts

FM 2014 features a revamped transfer module where opposing clubs and managers adopt a more realistic approach when making or responding to transfer offers. In addition, a number of new ‘real world’ transfer clauses have been added, such as the facility to loan a player back to the club he’s just been bought from and the option to offer a combination of cash and loan players, as well as new contract clauses such as a sub bench appearance fee. On top of this, the old ‘turn-based’ system of transfer negotiations can now be done two ways, the tried and tested system and a new ‘live’ system, similar to that used in FM’s contract negotiations.

More sophisticated board interaction

Contract negotiations are more realistic in FM 2014, as managers and boards can now make demands and lay down their respective visions for the club in both initial job interviews and contract renewal discussions. Managers can also attempt to renegotiate transfer and wage budgets as a reward for staying loyal if they’ve been offered a job by another club, with the outcome helping aid their decision on whether to move or not.

Improved interaction with players, staff and media

There is now better interaction between players, managers, their rivals and the media; for example, members of the coaching staff now offer feedback on how reserve and youth team players are performing. Managers can also ask key players to have a word with unhappy squad members, while the introduction of an end-of-season meeting allows the manager to let the squad know how they have performed and set targets for the coming season.

News system

The news system has been overhauled so managers can now deal with many club matters directly from their inbox. In addition, news is now colour-coded, based on category, and contains more detail – for example, scout reports now appear as a single news item with a top-line report on all players scouted and the facility to shortlist or make an offer for each of these players.

Enhanced user interface

Major changes have been made to FM 2014’s user interface. Key areas have been redesigned – including the training overview page, the transfer centre and the news homepage – while widespread changes have been made across the game’s user interface. The language employed throughout the game has also enjoyed a major overhaul and now corresponds more closely to the language of real world football.

Football Manager Classic evolved

Managers can now choose more than three playable nations in Classic mode for a more immersive experience. In addition, FM’s ‘fast play’ mode now includes Transfer Deadline Day, a Match Plan wizard and new unlockables.

- Fixed State leagues not being scheduled when adding Brazilian leagues
- Fixed past Winners screen for the Polish Ekstraklasa using positions from the Regular Season and not the positions from after the Split
- Bulgarian and Romanian Players no longer need a Work Permit for British Clubs from January 2014
- Fixed user not given opportunity to Postpone Premier Division match due to International Callups
- Improved scheduling of domestic fixtures before/after European matches
- Fixed user not being asked to set length of End of Season Break after last match of season
- Fixed MLS teams being unable to register players for Club World Championship
- Improved the selection of players in the MLS Draft pool
- CFA League Schedule now correctly matching other French Leagues
- Improved A-League AI teams' signing of Marquee players

TRANSFERS & CONTRACTS

- Relaxed some German transfer preferences to allow users to sign more players from outside of Germany
- Prevented AI managers from leaving jobs before playoff finals
- Increased amount of international management sackings
- Prevented the AI from signing a player on loan when the player has already played for two teams in the current season
- Prevented players loans getting extended automatically when being loaned to South American sides
- Tweaks to transfers made by the AI for users players
- Prevented recently relegated side from the lowest playable league from entering a loop of hiring and firing managers on a daily basis

INTERACTION

- Fixed backroom advice not appearing for some clients online
- Fixed Youth Setup Category not upgrading despite request being accepted
- Fixed player wanting to discuss failure to qualify for Champions Cup despite having qualified
- Fixed irrational response to player being congratulated on first international cap
- Fixed a few issues of strange/contradictory responses in team meetings

- News Item priority improvements to Manager News Website
- Assistant Training will correctly update the training pie chart
- Stopped players learning new positions when subbed into that position for very short periods of time
- Improved player training when user changes tactics frequently

- Fixed a number of unique crashes when verifying files in Advanced Rules
- Restored a number of verification warnings that were previously not generating
- Fixed an issue where fixture rules were removed when adding lower divisions to existing structures and converting to Advanced Riles
- Fixed an issue where certain leagues' default rules appeared with no dates or promotion/relegation information
- Improved the functionality of average points tables in custom nation rules
- Fixed a rare issue where a player would be given a positional rating of 20 and it would not extract into the game properly

IN-GAME EDITOR

- Fixed an issue where a player's unhappiness was removed, only for it to return the next day
- Enabled the editing of nations

MATCH ENGINE v1454

- Increased dribbling speed at higher end
- Improved pass and shot accuracy slightly at higher end
- Improved goalkeeper save AI
- Fixed keeper trying to pick up ball at feet but not being able to hold it
- Fixed some instances of unrealistically dreadful poor touch
- Fixed some full backs going forward too quickly off the ball
- Increased likelihood of certain attacking roles dropping deeper to look for ball
- Improved destination height of headed clearances
- Fixed up "Mark six yard area" at corners to mean zonal marking of the edge of the six yard box
- Fixed headed clearance trajectory bug
- Slight reduction in overhit passes
- Fixed potential own goal bug when player tries to stand still with ball near own goal line
- Prevented midfield players going too deep when defending own area
- Increased speed defenders will push up out of box when ball won back or cleared in deep areas
- Reduced instances of defenders turning back on ball and retreating too quickly when team is generally well positioned defensively
- Fixed error causing defenders to mark opponents and drop too deep into own area
- Tweaked pace and target point of some short passes to feet when receiving player is under pressure
- Slightly encouraged some more passes in behind opposition d-line
- Reduced some further instances of overly long first touches
- Reduced premature pot shots from distance when placed to take ball closer to opposition goal
- Encouraged taking on of opponents by players likely to run with ball more
- Some small dribbling AI tweaks
- Encouraged ball forward to target man a bit more
- Tweaked pass AI slightly
- Tweaked cross AI slightly
- Increased fouls slightly at lower levels
- Reduced mentality choice slightly for low directness AI teams
- Increased use of direct play strategy for smaller teams
- Potential fix for odd throw ins
- Fixed an issue when the subbed player doesn't drop the ball
- Tweaked pass choice AI
- Tweaked run with ball AI
- Tweaked when to cross AI
- Tweaked when to shoot long AI
- Tweaked shot choice AI for top players
- Tweaked header accuracy slightly
- Tweaked when to clear ball AI
- Fixed error causing many corners to go too close to goal line
- Tweaked off ball movement around ball player
- Fixes and tweaks to passing AI
- Fixed some issues causing poor dribbling and first touch decisions
- Some tweaks re when to shoot or not
- Increased urgency of off ball movement in some situations
- Fixed offsides being called after player has moved back onside before pass
- Fixed bug where dive by attacker could result in penalty regardless of where it occurred
- Improved keeper reactions in some situations
- Made keepers sweep up balls more aggressively when needed
- Improved keeper positioning when narrowing angle
- Fixed a pass being reported as 550 yards in distance
- Fixed unrealistic examples of keepers holding shots
- Fixed keeper making unnecessary save attempt when already letting ball run out
- Fixed keepers making buggy attempts to save ball when they have it under control already
- Improved goalkeeper distribution
- Fixed buggy offsides being given when player fouled
- Fixed some instances of players continuing with pointless attempts to intercept balls that are destined for opponent
- Made players quicker to move to slow moving ball when under pressure
- Fixed some instances of buggy poor first touches
- Less risky passes around own danger area
- Some minor general passing AI tweaks
- Tweaked long shot AI slightly
- Reduced instances of silly passes when player in goalscoring opportunity
- Made players less gung ho about drifting offside
- Fixed buggy kick offs where the 2 players get in each other’s' way
- Fixed some keeper clearances being given insufficient elevation
- Fix for some crosses not being attempted
- Reduction in dangerous and long back passes
- Reduced DFK conversion slightly
- Further fixes for keeper handling and judgement of ball issues
- Removed illogical zonal marking on free kicks around corner of penalty area
- Reduced unnaturally looped kicks from ground
- More minor tweaks to on ball decision making AI
- Fixed rare occurrence of player "teleporting" randomly on ball
- Reduced unrealistic instances of long shots
- Fixed bug causing some shot velocities to be reduced
- Fine-tuned shot and pass accuracy
- Fine-tuned player ratings
- Fixed underhit long kicks
- Fix occasional penalty awards when offence nowhere near area
- Fixed rare occurrence of match not kicking off after goal